1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to animal medical aids and more particularly to an improved animal pet medical collar to prevent an animal from pulling its stitches, bandages, etc.
2. Prior Art
Animals such as dogs and cats are very popular as pets. When ill, however, they require very careful attention, particularly since they make difficult patients, often tearing out their stitches after surgery, ripping off their bandages, licking and chewing their infected body parts, removing medication, etc. They do not convalesce well in strange environments such as veterinary hospitals and are therefore usually brought home as soon as possible. At home, however, their natural propensity to freely move around is severely hampered if they are trussed up to protect their injured parts from themselves.
Accordingly, so-called Elizabethan collars have been devised to solve the foregoing problems. A device of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,013,530, which, however, has the disadvantage of providing a large space around the neck, with a multitude of strings spanning the space, making the device difficult to adjust, cumbersome and very vulnerable to entanglement with bushes and other foreign objects.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,554 also discloses such a device which, however, is limited in adjustability and, like the device of the above, listed patents, offers little protection and cushioning of the animal.
Devices such as those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,036,179 and 4,286,547 are body trusses. As such, they are cumbersome, uncomfortable and annoying and are difficult to instill and adjust. They tend to seriously interfere with normal movements of the pet.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved inexpensive, durable and efficient device capable of being simply and rapidly installed and adjusted to fit the pet and providing a comfortable and effective restraint against the pet pulling out its stitches, stripping off bandages, rasping sores, etc. Such device should not interfere with normal movement of the animal and should cushion it against injury, as well as protect it from becoming entangled with shrubbery, etc.